Reflections on the Connecticut Shooting

I am sure that I am not the only one out there writing his or her reflections on the incredible act of violence that transpired at the elementary school in Connecticut Friday. Like so many people, I am contemplating how to understand what has transpired. Because of my background, how I have been contemplating such events is a real mixed baggage. If you are interested and willing, please continue reading as I list some of my thoughts. Just be warned, I tend to be upfront with my faith and beliefs, and at times very blunt.

First and foremost, this was a very evil act. To me, purposely going after people who are unable to defend themselves is something that should be very harshly punished. But, to me at least, why did he do it? How could a 20-year-old man consider doing something as cruel as going through a school? Being angry at one's parents, former teacher, etc., is one thing. Whether justifiable because of things in the past or not, one adult seeking to kill another adult is one thing. But, to go around and slaughter children?! That is something totally different. My faith informs me that all of us are imperfect and sinful beings. That is, our natures are corrupt since birth, seeking to gratify our felt desires. Through training, we can manage this to some extent, be we will always have this sinful nature. When we look around, we see some people who go to great lengths to disciple themselves so as to indulge their sinful desires less. But, we also see those who go out of their way to gratify them. Though many do not seek out ways so horrific as what happened on Friday, they still seek to gratify them.

For someone to choose to commit such a crime as shooting innocent children in a school, it seems that such a person would have had to harbor a very deep kind of bitterness for a very long time. In Ephesians 4:26, we read: "26 "Be angry, and do not sin": do not let the sun go down on your wrath," There is something very important to take away from this passage, I believe. When we allow anger to continue to fester in our hearts, it turns to bitterness. As this bitterness grows, it pushes out things like love, forgiveness, compassion, etc. As these things are pushed aside, out of one's life, it becomes more and more easy to consider things like taking one's anger out on anyone who is available, to just lash out. All of us feel angry at some point of time. That is a natural, God given emotion. It tells us that something is wrong (or at least feels wrong) and that something needs to be done. So, feeling angry is not bad, in and of itself. It's what a person does in expressing and/or deal with that anger that is either constructive or destructive.

From what little I have read, two of the victims appear to be his parents. It makes me wonder what his parents had done to enrage him so much. Or, a more likely issue is, what made this young man interpret things in such a way as to become so bitter. In a recent Fox News article, I read that some are speculating that mental illness might have something to do with his rampage. While in college, I took several psychology courses. One of the things that I learned from that is that reasons are never totally clear. Though there can be many influences, it's rarely clear as to what is a 'definite why.' My experiences and training inform me that we all have three facets, the physical, the emotional/psychological, and the spiritual. All three facets are interrelated and what happens to one directly impacts the other two.

On Facebook, I have read many posts about how angry people are about the man's actions in Connecticut. Some people blame guns, some blame education, others are just angry. Many people are struggling with wondering the "why did he?!?!" Others are asking how we could have protected the children.

I've worked corrections and military law enforcement. I am definitely not alone in wishing I could have done something. Being what my background is, I know that I could have done something. But, I often wonder if it would have been good enough? That is not a question I can really answer. Because of how many state and/or local laws are written, if I am not a law enforcement officer then I would not have been able to legally carry a weapon onto school grounds. That means, if I had been nearby and had the means to respond, I wonder if it would have been something that I could have done legally? I know that there are many out there that agree with me in that, were I there and had the means to have use whatever force necessary to stop this young man, I should have. However, I know that there are many out there who take the position that anything that, because I am not a civilian law enforcement officer, any use of a weapon on school property would be considered breaking the law. That is, I would be just as guilty of using a weapon on school grounds as the man shooting the children, teachers, etc.

When such events as this happen, we all struggle with how to understand it. We all struggle with how it could have been prevented and how to prevent future things from happening. There are no easy answers. There are no easy solutions, either. There are some things that are better than others, though.  One of the things that I read in the above-mentioned article was that the car and guns used in the rampage were all stolen. The car, the rifle, and the pistols were all owned by his mother, Nancy Lanza. Whether or not the young man suffered from any mental illness, it is clear that he stole weapons from someone else to use in his crimes. So, trying to justify more weapons control/bans is unfounded. He didn't buy them, he stole them. So far I have not read if he used the weapons to kill his mother or if he killed her by other means and then obtained the rifle and pistols. And to me, it doesn't really matter.

Although I am a military police officer with the Nebraska National Guard that does not mean that I can carry a firearm onto school grounds, with or without a CCW (concealed carry weapons) permit. There are so many people and places that are anti-gun that for those who choose to go through the training and application process for a CCW, it's difficult to be legally able to use that training. To me, that's sad. It also angers me. Many of us not only have a passion to help and protect others, even if that is not our primary job in life but have the training and experience to do so.

I don't know about others, but I would be very, very angry if any person who choose to risk their own life to stop someone like this shooter and were they prosecuted as a criminal because they also brought a firearm onto a school. Unfortunately, heroes like that are victimized because, in order to stop someone from committing a crime, they had to break a law. Instead of thanking the person for doing so, they are put in jail. It doesn't make any sense to me. Which is worse, carrying a firearm onto school grounds to stop an active shooter or the actions of the shooter? What is really justifiable? Which is a greater evil? We have Good Samaritan laws to protect those who try to save the lives of others. Why don't we have similar laws to protect citizen who would be willing to risk their own lives to protect others in a shooting situation?

I've been deployed to Iraq many times. I've studied Scripture for years and prayerfully seek God's help in applying it to my life. I have worked with convicted felons in a state prison, having to deal with some people who genuinely do not care about others, but only want to gratify their own selfish, even perverted, desires. I have also worked military law enforcement. I have been on a use of force team on numerous occasions because an inmate refused to follow the rules and force was necessary to correct the situation. I have had to spontaneously use force on a few occasions in order to protect myself or someone else. I have sat at the bedside of someone who was so distraught with life that they tried to commit suicide and had not succeeded. I have talked with friends and family members of someone who had suffered serious injure or had died because of a bad decision that they had made or because of someone else had. In some ways, all of these experiences help me to personally deal with such events. But, only so much.

All in all, I still struggle with such events. I am angry with the person who did such things. I am angry that people want to punish law abiding citizens who have not committed crimes just because someone else has. I am angry that there are those who would want to punish a person who would be willing to do anything and everything they possible could to protect the innocent because of how they stopped a criminal. I am saddened that young children were murdered by someone who, for whatever reasons, took his anger and bitterness out on them. I also want to understand how such a thing happened or how to prevent such a thing from happening in the future.

Many ask how a loving God could allow such a thing to happen. I do not know why. But, I do know that God is in control. What happened was evil. But, I do know that God can bring blessings out of it.  I know that many people will be very angry with the statement that I just made. That is fine with me. Looking back at my life, I know that I have made many bad decisions. We all have. But, God has shown me grace and helped me to learn from such mistakes. I know that God has done that in other people's lives. I also know that God can bring good out of this situation, too. For me, the big question is, are we going to seek to punish others for the sins/mistakes of one person, or are we going to seek how God wants to show us His Grace? Are we going to be willing to accept what God wants to give us or teach us? I don't have the answer for that either. I just hope and pray that whatever God wants to do with this event in my life, that I will be obedient. I pray that you, the reader, will do so as well.

RC

Election Day

Note: I started writing this entry during the morning of Election Day on the family tablet. Because of various issues going on, I was not able to finish writing this entry on Tuesday. Therefore, I wanted to quickly finish the thought I was writing and then close out this entry. Hopefully soon, I will be able to write another one. RC

Today is Election Day in America. I am waiting for my oldest to finish his breakfast. After that, I'll be getting them ready to go out so that I can vote. Having been both Active Duty Army and with the Nebraska Army National Guard since 2001, I am proud to perform my civic duty. Like many Presidential races, this one has been a pretty heated process the last few months. Some of those running for what-ever office have been worse than others. But, pretty much all of them have been negative about others to some degree. But, that isn't what concerns me the most. As we read in Romans 3, all of us have sinned and have fallen short of God's glory and holiness. Because of this, all people who are seeking election are sinners. Therefore we will always be voting for the 'lesser of the two (or more) evils.

Some people have beliefs that are more in line with Scripture than others. God call us to love others, seek justice, and to protect the innocent (those who cannot protect themselves). Others seeking an office of some sort are more blatantly against how God calls us to live. As I've been reflecting on today and the days that led up to it, a Scripture passage came to my mind. It is 1 Samuel 8, and I invite you to read it.

Because I am writing this entry on a tablet, I won't be quoting it or attaching a link to it. In nutshell, the Israelites wanted to be like the other nations and have a king. Because of this, they were rejecting God. When our Founding Fathers created this country, almost all of them were very active in their respective churches. Although they may have had differing religious views, they all agreed on a few essentials. First of all, because all people are made in the image of God, all people are to be cared for and enabled to live a fulfilling life (life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness). They also knew that all people were sinners. Because of this, they knew that, while we are capable of doing great things, we are also capable of great evil when not constrained. Because of this, they created The Constitution with many checks and balances. That way, one branch will be less likely to become too powerful.

Our Founding Fathers also believed very strongly in choosing people with very high moral and ethical standards. People with high standards are more likely to lead by serving, seek to protect the innocent, empower others instead of making them dependent on entitlements, etc. How many of our leaders really embody any of this? I think that our country's current status is evidence enough. Unless we are willing to select moral and ethical leaders, people who bare selfish and power-hungry will lead us. Power hungry people do not want people that they rule over to think for themselves, to be able to protect themselves or their loved ones, to follow God, etc. Power-hungry people want foolish, unprotected, people without religious conviction, etc. to rule over. Such people are much easier o control. As I reflect on current events, I become more and more concerned. As a nation, we are more interested in entitlements than empowering others to pursue employment and productivity. We are more interested in avoiding responsibility for having sex then we are protecting innocent life. We are more interested in taking what we can from the government instead of actively working for a better future. Lord, have mercy on us! Help us to repent of our selfish ways and return to you!

RC

Hearing and Obeying

While catching up on some E-mails, I came across a devotional from the United Methodist Church and thought I would share that this morning.  The Scripture passage is James 1:19-27, and I encourage you to read it first.

Part of the reason why I wanted to share this, is because a good friend of mine from seminary shared some Scripture concerning anger and allowing God to work the circumstances of our lives.  Being that this passage starts out talking about this, I thought it was appropriate.

Verse 19b-20a says:  "But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."  Let's think about that.  It does not say:  "Never be angry..."  Anger is not necessarily a bad emotion, but a lot of times, the anger we feel about a situation is in response to realizing that something isn't right, or that some has done an injustice to us.  Anger, like fear, are an 'emotional warning system,' of sorts' to let us know that something isn't right.  So, in that sense, anger and fear are not bad.  It's how we respond to situations, either because of fear or anger, that indicates what we value.

The way most people respond to fear and anger is to immediately attack the cause of it.  If one is feeling fear and/or anger because one is being attacked, then responding to that threat to protect one's self or someone else is probably the right thing to do.  Each of us has to make that judgement call if and when the time comes.  However, that is not always the reason why we will respond to something in an angry way.

An excellent example is road rage.  How often have you been cut off by someone on purpose?  I have several times.  I remember one time while driving to Omaha about a year ago, two different people behind me had ample time to pass me when it was safe and legal to do so (i.e., we were not in a no passing zone).  However, these two people decided to shoot around us while in a no passing zone, and when there was oncoming traffic. In fact, one of the two returned to the north bound lane (it was a two lane highway) with an on coming care less than 100 yards in front of him/her.  And this person passed me right after the no passing zone started, and forced me to have to slow down so that he/she could get back into the lane safely.  Pretty rude and dangerous, huh?  Both times, I commented to my wife that it was times like this that I wished I was a law enforcement officer in an unmarked car.  That way, especially if I had the opportunity to turn on the internal camera system, I would be able to document their reckless driving, pull them over, and either cite them or arrest them for reckless driving/reckless endangerment.  It would depend on how the laws of that area read.  Instead of trying to respond to them like they had treated me, I acknowledged my anger and let it go.  I also prayed that God would take care of the situation, protecting others and either helping that person to make better choices or to enable the right people to see what they were doing and correct the situation.

Life will never work out the way we want it to.  Because of sin, things will go wrong.  As a military policeman with the Nebraska National Guard and while I was with the Nebraska Department of Corrections, I experienced numerous times where other people's actions angered me.  In some situations, I actually had to respond using force to protect myself or someone else.  Most of the time, though, the person was simply trying to 'push my buttons' to make me angry enough that I would react to him/her and do something stupid.  Very hard to resist, and even harder, sometimes, to discern the difference between situations that require us to respond to a dangerous situation and when people are trying to antagonize use to do something wrong.  I believe that this is part of what James is saying.

According to James, worthless religion is having an unbridled tongue (verbally lashing out at others) or responding to situations in a way that does not honor God.  However, when we strive to serve God by take care of widows and orphans (those who are historically taken advantage of, and symbolize all of those who are not able to defend themselves).  Sometimes, that means helping them find work, providing for their physical and/or emotional needs, etc.  Sometimes, it means taking those to are trying to abuse or take advantage of them to court or to law enforcement officers.  Other times, we may actually have to step in to protect them.  It takes discernment to know what to do and how to do it.  That's where we need to be correctly connected to God through prayer and reading His Word.

In studying God's Word and conversing with Him in prayer, we gain a better understanding of how God views our actions, our intentions, and how God expects us to respond to things.  And, since God is outside of time and knows everyone's minds, God can clearly direct us with how to respond to situations.  Because we can't see all things, there are a lot of unknowns in life.  But, when we purposely seek to know and follow God, He will give us His Holy Spirit to guide us.  We will not always understand what God is doing in our lives, but that is why it's called 'walking in faith.'

But, it's not enough to simply read God's Word and pray.  Simply doing so without allow God to change you is an empty religion.  It's all 'head knowedge' without any change in your life.  It's like having an instruction manual and never opening it, or protective gear and not putting it on.  It's worthless if not actually used.  This is where 'hearer and doer' comes in.  When we read God's Word and seek God's help in applying it to our lives, and allow Him to change us, it's like using the owner's manual to correctly use a protect.  Or, it's like using the correct protective gear during work or sports.  Or, more simply, it's like using a tire iron and a jack to change a car tire instead of trying to wrestle it off while all four tires are still on the ground.

Empty religion is the kind that does not change a person's life.  It is simply 'head knowledge' that does not affect how one actually things and acts.  If that is what we have, we are more of a weed in God's garden, not be effective and not producing a crop for Him.  But, in actually being obedient to God, allowing His Word and the Holy Spirit to change us, then we become effective and fruitful for God's service.  I believe that is, in a nutshell, what James is talking about.  Being changed by God so that we are fruitful for Him and obedient to Him, not merely doing what we feel like.

Is it easy?  Definitely not!  But, in the long term, is it worth it?  I believe so.  In fact, I believe that in being obedient to God, we are fulfilling God's calling and purpose in our lives and honor Him.  Although setting aside our desires and will and embracing what God has for us is extremely difficult, the eternal rewards are worth it.

Buffet Religion

While waiting for some videos for a job application to upload onto YouTube, I was reading through some of my E-mails. I've been so busy with family and job hunting that I have many E-mails that I haven't read yet. Actually, truth be told, I have many E-mails (mostly commentaries that have not been high priority most days) have piled up for several months. Any ways...

The article that I will be talking about is from BreakPoint.com, with the actual article called God Kits. As I read it, I was reminded of many conversations that I've had with different people over the years. Many people that I've talked with over the years often describe themselves as 'religious.' But, their actual 'religious beliefs' are picked from many different sources. Some others claim 'Christian,' but instead of accepting all of Scripture, they pick and choose what they like.

Our country typically prides itself on its individualism, creativity, adaptability, and resourcefulness. And, that is not necessarily a bad thing. For example, when the pioneers settled this Nation, they had to be very creative and resourceful to be able to have a chance to survive. When I was with the 82nd Airborne and 'went north' from Kuwait into Iraq, there were many times where we had to be very resourceful. I remember one guy from my unit who made a good shelf out of pieces of wood and duct tape.

But, when it comes to one's religious beliefs, is that a wise thing? I do not think that it is a wise idea at all. First of all, when you pick and choose what you want to believe from a variety of sources, you are in danger of two things. The first one being either not understanding the historical context and original meaning of the 'belief' that you are adopting. And, when you take something out of context, that can be very unflattering at best, or even dangerous. The second thing is, if you adopt various beliefs from religions that are very contrary to each other, then you can look the fool. For example, claim something like Jesus' love and forgiveness, and also adopt a Satanist idea that it's good to gratify your desires.

Then, there's also the importance of the context of the beliefs that you've adopted.' For example, let's take Jesus and the Holy Bible. I have talked with many people over the years who claim to be 'followers of Christ Jesus.' But, some of these people regularly had sex outside of marriage between a man and a woman, regularly cheated on their finances, thought it was 'evil' to give money to the church, didn't go to church at all (private religion), etc. According to Matthew 5:18 (NAS), Jesus said: "For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." What Jesus was referring to were the different accent marks used in the Hebrew and Aramaic writings. If something so minor as accent marks were not going to change, then the rest of the laws and prophecies were definitely not going to change. But, that's not the only thing I want to look at.

Another important thing that Jesus said was in John 1:1-5, 14. To summarize, God literately spoke Himself into being. Just as our words reflect who we are and what our values are, so Jesus would literately reflect who God is and what God values. To emphasize this, in John 8:31-59, Jesus is teaching in Jerusalem about Him being the Truth. During the ensuing argument between Him and the people, He references Abraham, who logically is dead. When Jesus claims that whomever keeps His words will never see death, they mock Him. He then says, in verse 58: "Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I AM." Here, Jesus was referring to what God said to Moses in Exodus 3:13-14. For Jesus to claim such a thing, to be God, He was either a liar, a lunatic or He was, indeed, telling the Truth.

So, for someone to claim that they are a 'follower of Christ' but yet reject what Scripture says, they are either purposefully lying or do not realize that they are only following a god of their own making. That is, a Jesus in the image that they want, not the Jesus of the Old and New Testaments.

Now, no one will be perfect followers of Christ, because we are all sinners and fall short of God's glory/expectations. (Romans 3:23) But, because of His love for us, God reaches down to us, gave us a perfect way of redemption through Himself (Christ Jesus' life, death and resurrection) and provides a way to follow Him in obedience. That is, by having the Holy Spirit dwell within them. Like a seed taking root and growing up into a plant, so does God's Spirit take root within us and, as time goes and we purposely allow God to cultivate His will in our lives, we grow to be more and more like Him.

When we pick and choose what we want to believe, whether from one religion or from several, we really short change ourselves. Most importantly, when we pick and choose, we neglect or even totally ignore the historical significance of what was written and why. Like misquoting people, we misquote our values and expectations of others and life itself. If we are going to be serious about or 'spiritual beliefs,' let’s make sure we are accurate in what we believe, and why. If not, we set ourselves up for looking the fool. And, who wants to wear some dorky 'dunce cap' just because he or she is to lazy to really understand what they claim to believe? I don't!

Beliefs and Behavior

Recently, a person I know on Facebook shared a picture of a chalkboard with "Your beliefs don't make you a better person, your behavior does," on it. My immediate response was: “Since your actions come from your thinking, the do matter. If you genuinely think something is true, your actions will reflect them." That got me thinking about that disconnect that is all too common...

How easy is it to believe something that may be true, but is unpopular; and, because it's unpopular, your actions are often contradictory? Take the issue of the sanctity of life, for example. May people say that they are 'pro-life,' but yet they either endorse abortion on demand, or choose to remain silent. Because it is often unpopular to be pro-life, may people choose to be silent.

A case in point from my own personal experience while in seminary. Because of my conservative/evangelical beliefs, I see abortion as being morally wrong. While there may be some individual cases, because of the immediate life of the mother or because of incest, where abortion may need to be an option, it should never be the 'only' option. But, at my seminary, it was very unpopular to not endorse a 'woman's right to freely choose' what happens to 'her' body. Because of this and many other reasons, I was looked down upon by many of the faculty and students.

For my, my belief system is based on Scripture, which I believe is God's Word for us. It is not a selection of 'mere fables' that we can choose to accept or not. It is God's inspired Word (God breathed, literately) to instruct us on how to have a personal relationship with Him and with each other. So, when God says that we are created in His image and, therefore, all have inherent worth, ending a life without reason, because one does not want to suffer the consequences of their own sin, or only because of 'connivance' for their own lives or plans is utterly wrong.

For some people, like Christians living in the Middle East or North Korea, having unpopular beliefs is literately, a matter of life and death. For example, in North Korea, all people are to worship the state and its leader. That's what Communism, like Fascism, is all about, utterly following the leadership, no matter what. To be a Christian in North Korea means risking your life to read Scripture. Why? Because Scripture teaches that there is only one God and that one's ultimate loyalty is to Him. Service to an honorable government is expected, but when a government calls you to live in sin (in this case, idolatry), one has to put God first. A totalitarian government cannot allow that to happen and still remain a totalitarian government. Therefore, it has to strike out against those who believe in God's Word.

If we believe something is true, then it needs to affect how we live. If our actions do not reflect what we believe, then are those beliefs genuine? Is it something worth laying your life down for? Or worse yet, in the minds of some people, one's own reputation or social status?

Quite frankly, I believe that if what you believe does not directly influence how you act, then your belief system is a worthless religion. Granted, places like North Korea make living your faith extremely difficult, but there are ways. If you genuinely trust God, then He will provide ways for you to live your faith in obedience to Him. But, there are also times when He calls us to live our lives in such a way that our lives become a sacrifice.

So, how does your belief system affect how your life? Do your beliefs directly influence how you act? Or, are they just a belief system that you like, but yet are disconnected from how you actually live? If it's the latter, do you actually and genuinely believe them?

Renewal

This past weekend, we celebrated Arbor Day.  What was neat for my family and myself, we were able to do so in Nebraska City, NE, where it all began.  Our kids were thrilled with the various hands-on opportunities that there were for learning.  Mommy and Daddy were thrilled that there was so much for kids to do and learn, and that they were so worn out by the end of the day, getting them to bed was not as big of a deal as it can be at times.

Throughout the weekend, I contemplated the reason behind Arbor Day.  To purposely plant trees to replace those that have been cut down for food, because of age or disease, etc.  We have more than five trees in our yard and two sides of our house is nicely shaded from the afternoon and evening sun.  That's great, since it helps to cut down on heating costs.  And, they provide a little bit of a wind break during the winter, which of course helps with heating costs.

While driving around the country over the years, I noticed that many farms have trees surrounding their buildings.  At first, I didn't really understand why one would want so many trees.  But, as I have grown older, I've come to understand it better.

Unlike some resources that we have, like natural gas, coal, and oil, trees are a renewable resources.  That is, we can grew a new tree within 30-40 years, or even less, to replace ones that we cut down.  That means, if people are harvesting older trees within a forest, if they plant new trees as they cut the older ones down, in 10-20 years, the young trees will be approaching maturity for harvesting.  All the same time, they will continue to provide shade, home and food for animals.

As I though about the wonder of renewable resources, my mind drifted to spiritual renewal.  For those who know me, you probably are thinking, "And we're supposed to be surprised, why??"

As I shared earlier, I see the Christian faith as like a journey, but more to it.  One's relationship with God through the saving work of Jesus Christ is just like any other relationship.  It takes time and energy to start, and time and energy to maintain.  Just as with any friendship, family relationship, marriage, from time-to-time, one or the other, or even both, drift away.  The same is true with our relationship with God.  There are times when the cares of the world, our personal interests and/or hobbies, work, etc., start becoming our focus.  When that happens, our relationship with God stagnates.

Just like we have to purposely plant trees to renew that resource, so we also have to 'plant time' to renew our relationship with others and with God.  That is, we have to purposely make time to spend with God in prayer, Bible study, corporate worship, etc.

And, as I write this, I'm reminded of the fact that I have been neglecting quality time with God most days.  Some days, I spend good quality time with God throughout the day.  But, too often than not, I don't spend much time with God except for the occasional prayer.  It's just so easy, getting caught up with job hunting, taking care of the kids, taking care of chores around the house, that spending time with God is put on the back burner.

In today's society, with so many things in competition for our time, it's so easy to neglect things that are most important.  Regular exercise, spending quality time with friends and family, spending quality time with God, all can easily be set aside.  We have to consciously choose to prioritize things in our lives.  Is it easy?  Absolutely not.  But, though it's not easy, we have to ask ourselves:  What do we claim is most important to us?  Do our actions actually reflect that?

God's Word

Over the last couple of days, I created a list of things that I wanted to discuss on this blog.  But, while trying to catch up on E-mails, I came across an article from the UMC 2012 General Conference that I decided to discuss at this time.


There have been many different issues that have divided churches, even denominations, over the centuries.  Sometimes, it's been over something so trivial as the color of the hymnal or the color of the carpet.  Other times, it's over something a lot more serious.  For example, whether Christians should be involved in armed conflict or how to deal with an evil dictator.  (This second issues is something that I hope to explore more thoroughly in a doctorate, but more on that later.)


The primary issues for the above article (if you haven't read it already, I encourage you to do so), concerns the issues of homosexuality within the physical church.  Specifically, if those who are in a leadership position (example, a teacher, deacon, elder, pastor, etc.).  I grew up Presbyterian USA, and like the United Methodist Church, this issue has become a major, major issue.


Except, I do not believe that the issue has to do with human sexuality.  At least, not as a primary issue.  What I believe is the primary issue is how one is to view and understand Scripture.  Please bare with me here as I explain.


Not only have I trained to be a pastor of a church, but I have spent years serving in the military and have worked in corrections.  Each of these different jobs have given me very interesting insights into human nature, including the good, the bad, and the down right totally ugly.


While working in corrections, I dealt with a lot of people who made some terrible mistakes and were not suffering the consequences for what they did.  I also dealt with people who chose to be anti-social, to purposefully want to hurt others.  I also heard a myriad of excuses as to why things weren't 'their fault.'  All the way from 'the devil made me do it,' to 'I was born this way,' to 'my parents made me this way.'


I have also talked with a lot of people who were doing self-destructive things to themselves, like being addicted to drugs, alcohol, porn, always angry, etc.  But, these people, and not all of them were Christians, realized that there was something wrong in their lives and were purposefully making the changes that they needed in order to function in society as productive citizens.  Some struggled more than others.  But, they all had emotional, spiritual and/or spiritual issues that they used what ever drug to cover up.


My belief is, because humanity is a fallen and sinful from birth, each of us are often born with certain self-destructive tendencies.  For now, I'll call it someone's 'sin-issue.'  For some, this 'sin-issue' is expressed in abusive relationships due to a need to feel powerful/in control.  For some, it may express itself in habitual lying.  For others, it may express itself in having sex with many partners or using sex as a weapon/form of abuse.  Whether this 'sin-issue' gets nourished from the person's own selfish desires, because of environmental factors, or because of drug/alcohol abuse, it is still there.  For some, they are able to acknowledge their selfish desires and control their actions, others either loose control or want to embrace it.


For me as a Christian, I believe that whether the issue is homosexuality, two people living outside of marriage, someone who is an abuser in a relationship, etc., the real issue at hand has to do with God's Word.  That is, is Scripture God's inspired Word to us, or is it merely a collection of 'good stories.'


If it's merely a collection of 'good stories,' then a person can choose what he or she wants to accept.  If it makes him or her feel good, then great.  If not, forget it!


But, if you believe that the Bible is God's inspired Word, then there is a reason why God inspired it.  Think of it this way, when a company makes a product like a blender, TV or car, they include a copy of instructions.  Within the instruction booklet one will find what the product was made for, what it can do, what it can't do, and possible consequences for not using it properly.  An example that comes to my mind would be:  A VW Beetle is a compact car.  To try and use it as a drag racer or as an armored vehicle in a combat zone would be extremely dangerous, if not deadly.  Just like an armored tank is not made for racing, nor is a Porche made to race on water.


According to Scripture, God created all things for a purpose.  And, when He created everything, it was good.  (Genesis 1-2)  Everything was made for a purpose, and everything fulfilled that purpose that it was created for.  Because of this, there was shalom or 'wholeness' between Creation and God.  However, in chapter 3 of Genesis, we read that Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God.  This decision of rebelling against God caused a broken relationship between man and woman, humanity and the rest of creation, and between humanity and God.  


However, Scripture states that God did not abandon us to a fate of being eternally separated from Him.  Instead, God continued to reach out to us, instruct us on how we are to live in relationship with Him and with each other.  Over the centuries, I believe that these instructions on how to live with each other, and with God, including how God chose to provide perfect reconciliation for us to Him, is in Scripture.


For me, whether my desires agree with what Scripture says or not is immaterial.  And, I believe that everyone struggles with different things that Scripture says.  But, what it really boils down it, do we take God at His Word about life and what's right, or not?  If we trust God at His Word, then though we will struggle, the more we rely on God and seek others to help us, the more likely we will walk in God's Shalom.   But, if we choose to ignore what God says about something, then we will suffer the consequences.


For me, it's not about one sinful lifestyle or another.  For me, it's a willingness for a person, a local church, or for a whole denomination, to submit their desires and actions to God or to indulge in them.  As leaders of a church, not only are we to teach others how to understand what's in the Bible, but we are to live our lives as an example.  If we are unwilling to practice what we preach, not just in part but in whole, then why even bother?

Bonhoeffers "Cost of Discipleship"

Today I bought a new book.  For those who know me, this would be of no surprise.  I've been a very avid reader since I was a kid.

this afternoon, I bought a very well known book by Dietrich Bohnhoffer, titled "The Cost of Discipleship."  The version that I have has over 30 pages of introduction, forward and memoir.  Though I am only on page 30-something, I am already getting excited.  Here was a man, even while in prison, who was strove to life his life solely for Christ, no matter the consequences.  In fact, the first chapter of this books is entitled "The Cost of Discipleship."  (I do apologize for any spelling errors...  I'm writing on my laptop without my book in front of me.)

That got me thinking the cost of following Christ.  Jesus Himself said, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he myst deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me."  (Matthew 16:24)  Honestly, how often do we really reflect on that comment that Jesus made?  How often do we prefer to focus on the other things that Jesus said in the Beatitudes, like:  "Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God..." (Luke 6:20) or "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted..." (Matthew 5:4) or other such things?  Though such things are important to reflect upon, it's not the only thing that we need to reflect upon.

When God calls us to follow Him, He calls us to a life of obedience.  How many of the of the prophets of the Old Testament life a comfortable life?  In fact, may of them gave up comfortable lives in order to be obedient to what God called them to be.  The Disciple, Matthew, was a tax collector before Jesus called him to follow.  Being a tax collector meant he was a social outcast with the jewish society, but also that he lived very comfortably.  Yet, when Jesus called him to follow, he gave it all up.

For those of us in American, and many of the other Western nations, we have a very comfortable life compared to those in many of the other countries.  But yet, is being comfortable in life the most important thing?  Though God may enable some to be well off because of their position within a company or because of wise decisions with investing, is that really important?

I will be the first to admit that I really enjoy modern technology and modern conveniences.  Although ministering at two churches was not easy, I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.  But, I have also been deployed to Iraq three times.  Especially during my first deployment, in 2003-04, when we went north into Iraq, I experienced a lot of hardships.  During my last deployment, I missed many of my son's firsts in his life (first steps, first words, etc.).  And, I was not happy at all about missing those firsts and many of the hardships of deployment.

However, during my last deployment, I got to know several Christians who live in the Middle East, who call countries like Iraq, Lebanon, or Pakistan their home.  Listening to the things that they endure on a regular basis put my life into perspective.  Listening to them share their real life experiences, the things they've seen, and reading about people like Dietrich Bohnhoffer....  It really got me thinking, again, about 'costly grace...'  Is following Christ costing you anything?  Then again, at what cost did we receive God's Grace, His "Amazing Grace" upon that cross?

RC

Journey

I believe that all of us are on a journey. From the day of our birth until we breath our last, we are on a journey. But, what is the journey for? Is there a reason for it? Is there a purpose for me being here?

I cannot speak for others, but I can speak for myself. For a long time, I have viewed my life as a journey. Being a person who loves to travel and visit different places, that is a fitting way to view things. Some people view their lives like a book, a movie, or something else. How we view our lives is possibly just as important as how we live it.

The reason why I say that is, how we view our life and the meaning that has for us, does directly influence how we make choices. For example, if one's perspective on life and living is that there is no such thing as god, that there are no eternal consequences for the actions that I make, they that will influence how he or she will make decisions. On the other hand, if a person believes that there is a very harsh and judging god, weighing every single though and deed against some 'perfect standard,' that too will color and influence how that person interprets things and lives his or her life.

The same goes for our moral beliefs. f a person holds the view that there is no divine being that created and gave order to the world around all of us, then he or she is more likely to believe that what's right and what's wrong are simple personal choices. That is, there is no 'absolute standard,' only what 'feels right' to him or her. This world view may or may not care how one's actions affect others, especially those he or she does not like

One of my passions in life is theological reflection. I love to ponder things, my relationship to things, and my relationship with God through Christ Jesus as my Lord and Savior. Another of my passions is to teach, sharing what I've learned with others. There are many other things that I enjoy, including traveling, watching movies, reading and researching, amongst many other things. But theology and teaching are two things that I can really get excited about!

You may be wondering why I choose "Law and Grace." For those who are family with Christian Protestantism and the Bible, those are two major themes. Law, the way that a holy and righteous God has chosen to order the universe and the boundaries that God calls us to live within. Grace, the fact that we are sinful and imperfect beings and holy God still extends His love to us.

Some of my blog entries might focus more on one aspect of God, or the other. Yet, both are there. And, I believe that both have to be there. Without law, how can we know how to live with each other in a way that is just? Without grace, how can we continue t be in relationship with we fail each other?